Diabetes is a common life-long health condition. There are 3.5 million people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK and an estimated 500,000 who are living undiagnosed with the condition

bacteria that are able to encroach upon the epithelium might be able to promote inflammation that drives metabolic diseases

However, if the macrobiotic penetrate the cells in the the gut, it could contribute to metabolic syndrome.

The researchers also said people with inflammatory bowel disease often have gut bacteria in contact with the epithelium - cells in the gut.

However, now experts believe type 2 diabetes could be closely linked to the same thing.

Experts from Georgia in the US used samples of cells from participants in a hospital in Atlanta.

The participants, who had no major health problems other than diabetes, were having colonoscopies for bowel cancer screening.

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Type 2 diabetes symptoms: Condition could be caused by bacteria in the bowel

The team, led by experts Dr Benoit Chasing and Andrew Gewirtz, took biopsies - a sample of cells - from the colon for analysis.

"Previous studies in mice have indicated that bacteria that are able to encroach upon the epithelium might be able to promote inflammation that drives metabolic diseases, and now we've shown that this is also a feature of metabolic disease in humans, specifically type 2 diabetics who are exhibiting microbiota encroachment,” Professor Gewirtz, told Science Daily.

They believe the bacteria in the gut come into contact with the epithelial cells and cause chronic inflammation.

This they said, interferers with the normal action of insulin, which can cause type 2 diabetes.

The study stated: “We conclude that microbiota encroachment is a feature of insulin resistance–associated dysglycemia in humans.”

The study was published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology.